Never Ever

05-07-13

2 Samuel 14.33 33 Then Joab went to the king and told him, and he summoned Absalom. So he came to the king and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom. (ESV)

2 Samuel 13 and 14 are a follow-up, or rather the next phase in David's familial collapse brought on by his sin with Bathsheba. David's children become pawns in a game of sin, lust, and deceit, unfortunately started by David himself. The whole problem was David loved God but seemed to forget about God's Law. And it was to God's Law that he was held accountable.

Nowadays, we are held accountable to God's love. Love is the most freeing thing in the universe because it's given by the most freeing Person in the universe. But David wasn't off the hook from the Levitical Law - and Leviticus was pretty specific about sexual conduct among God's people. David was God's person; David's kids were God's people too. They were all accountable to God's Laws about sex. Amnon should have been stoned for his rape of David's daughter Tamar. David should have been ousted as king for his fling with Bathsheba, and Absalom was guilty of death for murdering Amnon. (Absalom wouldn't have murdered Amnon had they carried out the punishment for the rape of a sibling...Amnon would've already been dead.)

David was extraordinarily gifted and successful. David was chosen by God to lead Israel and he did it very well...until he fell. The first step off the top of the world is down...always. David lost his sight of God for a while; God helped him to get it back.

I'd like to say the fairytale ended happily ever after, but it didn't. Actually, as we'll read in the next few days, the story gets worse. But difficulties or not' David never lost his love for God. And more importantly: God never lost His love for David. And God never loses His love for us.

Like David, we might have to suffer some consequences, but God never takes back His love for us, from us.

I think God hates it when we fall but He never, ever hates us no matter how bad it gets...even when we think He does - or He should. We know we would, but He never ever does. Ever.

Father, You know I would have liked to have taken these words in another direction but I can't; I can't omit Your love...ever. Thank You that despite all the wrong that assails, Your love never fails - for me, for David, and for anyone who trusts You enough to believe that truth. Amen.